Wrangler Authority Tires at Walmart

Hey guys, I recently came across these Goodyear wrangler authority all terrain tires at Walmart, and I want to hear your opinions on them. I've read reviews and have heard many different things so I want to hear from you guys. I know that they are only sold at Walmart and that they are kind of a "spin off" but if they are really a good deal I want to know, or if i should just pay the extra money for a different set. Let me hear you. Thanks!

I know there was a thread a couple years ago on here about them. Don't remember if any long term reviews were done. Even if they aren't to the same specs as the dura tracs they are still goodyears and come backed by them since they carry their name. Any mileage warranty on them?

Yes, that is a very good point. I recently asked a mechanic about these tires and he said that they are "what you could expect from Walmart", meaning they don't have the quality of most tires. I've decided on the BF Goodrich all terrain tires because they have outstanding ratings and quality.

Tires are the only thing keeping you and your vehicle connected to the road. I'll never understand why tires are something people will go cheap on.

Click to expand...

I may agree in principle but its not always the case. "cheap" is relative. Just because something is "cheap" does not necessarily make it low quality, and just because its expensive does not always mean its high quality. Price and quality are not always mutually exclusive.

Case in point I can get tires for my truck in my current size ranging from ~$220-$350/ tire. The bfg sits at about ~$256 each, does that mean that the bfg AT is a cheap low quality tire because its almost $100 less than the $350 tire?
@BlackBeast - Not trying to defend the walmart tire as the BFG AT is a great tire (and when I was looking they were one of the tires atop my list), but I would question the mechanics rationale of its "what you could expect from Walmart" as a reason. there are plenty of low quality things at walmart and plenty of things at walmart that are cheap but have lasted for years. I know you have searched for reviews and real world experience and manufacturer warranty are what to look for and not "it came from walmart so its crap". Like I said this is in no way to try and sway your purchase as I prefer Cooper tires and have not purchased these tires from walmart

I may agree in principle but its not always the case. "cheap" is relative. Just because something is "cheap" does not necessarily make it low quality, and just because its expensive does not always mean its high quality. Price and quality are not always mutually exclusive.

Case in point I can get tires for my truck in my current size ranging from ~$220-$350/ tire. The bfg sits at about ~$256 each, does that mean that the bfg AT is a cheap low quality tire because its almost $100 less than the $350 tire?
@BlackBeast - Not trying to defend the walmart tire as the BFG AT is a great tire (and when I was looking they were one of the tires atop my list), but I would question the mechanics rationale of its "what you could expect from Walmart" as a reason. there are plenty of low quality things at walmart and plenty of things at walmart that are cheap but have lasted for years. I know you have searched for reviews and real world experience and manufacturer warranty are what to look for and not "it came from walmart so its crap". Like I said this is in no way to try and sway your purchase as I prefer Cooper tires and have not purchased these tires from walmart

Click to expand...

While it's not necessarily fair to assume all things at Walmart are low quality, it's very, very valid to question the quality level. Walmart is big enough that it has enough clout to dictate things to manufacturers if they want Walmart to carry its products. Case in point -- Dell products on Walmart shelves. Walmart didn't like the price point of Dell goods, so it told Dell that for Dell to be carried in Walmart stores it had to bring the cost down. Dell did -- by moving to cheaper plastics and internal components ... which definitely lessened the quality of builds on which they did this. I happen to know this because I lived in Austin, TX, for 12 years (where Dell was based prior to a move to Round Rock, TX [just outside Austin] for tax reasons), and I knew people in that decision loop. While I buy Dell products, I flat-out don't buy them from Walmart because I know better. Best buy does the same thing, by the way.

Now apply that to tires ... at Walmart ... which might be cheaper due to cheaper materials and/or manufacturing processes, yes? The way to know if this was done is if the tires you're looking at have the same name AND encoding (in terms of model, manufacturing info, etc) on them as others from the manufacturer. If it's different, then something was probably changed to meet whatever criteria Walmart placed on the product. And if it's the same as at other retail outlets for those tires, then they probably weren't tweaked.

Another dead give away is if the tire you're looking at is ONLY sold via Walmart ... as that suggests it's a special name/batch/brand done to meet Walmart criteria.

Me, I won't buy BFG's, at all ... because BFG is a French label. The brand was bought by Michelin in 1988 when the Goodrich Corporation exited the tire business ... and Michelin is French-owned ... and traded on the French stock exchange. (Michelin also owns Uni-Royal, Tiger, and Riken, by the way.) The French may have bailed us out during the revolutionary war with our British colonial masters ... but we saved their bacon in WWII. So, as far as I see it, we're even. Beyond that, they have sat across the table from us (instead of beside us) at UN sessions often enough for me to want to put absolutely no money in French pockets. So, I don't.

[MENTION=26043]dsfloyd[/MENTION] You are correct in that "you get what you pay for" doesn't always hold true, 100% of the time, but I have seen it hold true enought times for me to live by it. There is absolutely nothing wrong with finding a product you like then shopping it at different vendors to get the best price. However, Surreal hit the nail on the head, in that Wal-Mart either owns a lot of the companies it sells products for (like Rubbermaid) or it dictates to companies how their products should be. Long story short, I refuse to even set foot in Wal-Mart.
[MENTION=50075]SurrealOne[/MENTION] I completely respect your stance on French companies, but for me, I'd much rather give my money to a French company than a Chinese company. I am sick of almost everything I touch in any given store being made in China.

@SurrealOne I completely respect your stance on French companies, but for me, I'd much rather give my money to a French company than a Chinese company. I am sick of almost everything I touch in any given store being made in China.

Click to expand...

Heh, I have Nittos -- i.e. I went Japanese. I'd also consider Kumho's politically sound choices, as the South Koreans have been allies for longer than I've been alive, and tend to sit on our side of the table. If there had been an American-made equivalent of the Trail Grapplers that's what I'd be riding on ... but there wasn't.